The overall goal of this study is to develop a microcarrier coated with a synthetic, 15 amino acid peptide sequence found in type I collagen. This microcarrier would replace current microcarriers utilizing native collagen or gelatin in protocols requiring animal product-free conditions. Currently three gelatin-coated microcarriers, a gelatin-linked dextran (Cytodex III, made by the United Kingdoms's Amersham-Pharmacia Biotechnology) and Solohill Engineering's two gelatin-coated polystyrene microcarriers, are the most extensively used microcarrier substrates in the industrial scale production of anchorage-dependent cells today. As manufacturers of viral vaccines and other biologicals move toward completely animal product-free manufacturing conditions, a substrate containing collagen or gelatin will not be acceptable. The synthetic-collagen-peptide coated microcarriers would provide an ideal replacement. In the Phase I portion of this SBIR grant application, we propose the following experimental program to demonstrate the feasibility of producing such a product. Specific Aim I. To attach a synthetic-collagen-peptide to the surface of polystyrene microcarrier core beads and to compare the synthetic peptide - coated microcarriers with currently available collagen-coated polystyrene microcarriers for ability to support attachment and growth of anchorage-dependent animal cells under serum-free conditions. Specific Aim II. To attach a synthetic-collagen-peptide to the surface of charged-surface polystyrene microcarrier core beads (Hillex microcarriers) and to compare the synthetic peptide-coated microcarriers with currently available charged-surface polystyrene microcarriers for ability to support attachment and growth of anchorage-dependent animals cells under serum-free conditions. Specific Aim III. To attach a synthetic-collagen-peptide to the surface of dextran microcarrier core beads and to compare the synthetic peptide-coated microcarriers with currently-available collagen-coated dextran microcarriers for ability to support attachment and growth of anchorage-dependent animals cells under serum-free conditions.